Dr. J. Cody Nielsen, Assistant Professor of Higher Education and Executive Director of Convergence Strategies
Dr. J. Cody Nielsen is a white cis-het heterosexual male whose values are designed on Chardin’s belief that “the future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope. For more than a decade, Cody has worked at the intersections of religious, secular, and spiritual cultures and identities (RSSCIs) and higher education. Cody received a B.A. in Social Work and B.S. in Psychology from the University of Northern Iowa in 2006 before pursuing a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from the same institution. He as well completed a master’s in divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC in 2011. Cody’s work has taken him across the United States and Canada and has, since his first full time position at the University of Minnesota in 2011, been a journey of self-exploration as well as supporting others.
Cody’s work stems from a deep appreciation for approaching equity from a systemic and structural approach, as well as the employment of critical reflexivity for the participants he works with in trainings and other professional development opportunities. His initial research study from 2013-2015 produced a seminal assessment of campus climates related to RSSCIs in which Cody used as rationale to obtain a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Iowa State University.
Cody’s work includes work with nonprofits, corporate entities, K-12 education and higher education. He works on interpersonal issues related to discourse and dialogue, at institutional systems level through assessment of strategic plans, policies, and practices, and structurally as he works with organizations, institutions, and individuals to reduce harm and increase capacity for equity-related efforts to thrive. His work is critically centered at the intersections of human rights and equity. He offers coaching, keynote speaking, strategic planning, professional development training, restorative justice approaches to conflict meditation, and a variety of other opportunities in service of “the work” we must all do together.
He is a resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where his son Levi (11) lives. His passion for teaching and learning alongside those he teaches or provides facilitation with drives his work.
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